Quick Tips for Combating Nausea and Vomiting

First Trimester Nausea

Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy: it’s classically called morning sickness, but let’s not sugar coat it – morning sickness is not exclusive to the morning. As someone just coming through her first trimester, this topic feels personal.

Fortunately, about 60% of women experience a decrease in symptoms by the end of the first trimester, and only 9% of women experience symptoms past 20 weeks.

Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols, RDN explains the theories around nausea and vomiting such as B vitamin deficiencies, your body protecting you from unsafe food, hormonal triggers, and thyroid health. It came as a relief that nausea and vomiting can be a sign that the thyroid is healthy.

Dealing With Nausea During Pregnancy

Here are a few quick ways to combat the symptoms of nausea:

Collagen Peptides are a great source of protein that is easy to consume without any smells that may trigger further nausea. It dissolves into liquid, and 2 scoops contains about 20g of protein. I highly recommend adding collagen peptides to tea, coffee, or a smoothie first thing in the morning. Increased requirements of protein are necessary to support fetal growth and development while maintaining maternal health and prepping for milk production. Collagen also benefits the body in many other ways, including promoting healthier hair, skin, and nails, as well as improved joint and gut health.

Eat a piece of fruit with, or followed by, a portion of protein or fat – nuts, cheese, eggs, avocado, or beef jerky. The protein and fat combination help to stabilize blood sugar. I suggest an apple with almond butter, berries with Greek yogurt, or seasonal fruit with nuts.

Smell a sliced lemon. I’ve been borrowing this trick from Eat.Taste.Heal, and it worked surprisingly well. Ayurvedic medicine suggests that smelling lemon is effective in decreasing nausea.

Keep snacks with you, and be prepared to nosh throughout the day. This may seem daunting if you’re a 3 meals per day person like me, but it can make a great difference.

If you’re in the first trimester and looking to maintain nutrition, I recommend referring to this BIRTHFIT blog by Brittany Anderson. Chances are that this, too, shall pass. Put these tips into play, or share with us in the BIRTHFIT Facebook group what’s worked for you!

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